Geoscience Department Research Articles

COVID-19’s meso-scale impacts: exploring the perspectives of geoscience department chairs in California

Across the landscape of higher education, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused fundamental changes at a variety of scales. To understand which aspects of higher education instruction at the departmental (meso-scale) level were most and least impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, chairs of geoscience departments at public higher education institutions in California (n = 38) were surveyed on the pandemic’s impacts on teaching in their departments, and whether those changes persisted beyond Spring 2022. The shift to online teaching was the pandemic’s primary impact. The findings indicate that this shift was followed by significant direct and indirect impacts on a variety of departmental and instructional aspects, including assessment methods, course offerings, course structure and organization, enrollment, recruitment and outreach, and student learning, in both positive and negative ways. Conversely, the pandemic had relatively little impact on degree structure and course content. Key pedagogical changes include the increased use of Learning Management Systems (LMSs), non-exam assessment methods, and online and hybrid modalities. The results highlight the need for departmental and institutional support to mitigate negative effects on geoscience in-lab and in-field classes, equity and achievement gaps, graduate student needs, recruitment and outreach efforts, and department chair stress, mental health, and burnout. Continued health and resilience in geoscience departments requires that the pandemic’s negative impacts be identified, studied, and addressed by departments, institutions, and professional organizations. Analyzing effects at the meso-scale is an important part of a multi-faceted, multi-scalar assessment of the pandemic’s impacts on geoscience education.

Bronze Sculpture of Ancient Marine Life Celebrates Ohio Geoscience Department’s Centennial

Bronze Sculpture of Ancient Marine Life Celebrates Ohio Geoscience Department’s Centennial

When the levee breaks: Visualization of a deepwater crevasse splay in Late Cretaceous in Exmouth Basin Offshore Western Australia

“The present is the key to the past” is a foundational geologic concept that helps us contextualize buried subsurface features in current geologic analogs. As seismic interpreters, the generation of the geologic model should be unbiased, yet as humans our unconscious biases are expected, and we sometimes overlook anomalous reflection patterns in our seismic data that do not fit the model. As a result, we often disservice ourselves when we overlook these characteristics, potentially ignoring additional geologic context. These anomalous geoforms or funny-looking things (FLTs) may provide further geologic context and aid us in solving the geologic model if included. Crevasse splay on a continental slope marine environment is described and analyzed using attributes, seismic inversion, and voxel-based classification. We discuss possible causes that may have triggered the break of the levee on the Exmouth Basin during the Early Eocene and why a crevasse splay on a steep slope is an FLT. A possible explanation is that the presence of preexisting faults beneath said feature is the likely culprit for a levee break that created the crevasses splay. Thus, in contrast with the Led Zeppelin song about why the levee breaks, it is equally important to understand the preexisting faults when analyzing sediment supply. In addition, this highlights the importance of integral stratigraphic sequence interpretation — from deep to shallow — to understand geology in a full context. Geologic feature: Crevasse splays and distributary channels Seismic appearance: Mounded high-amplitude reflection with hummocky low-amplitude internal reflection on vertical section, subparallel overlapping sinuous features on seismic attribute horizon slice Alternative interpretation: Mass-transport deposit, avulsion node; channel overbank Formation: The Wilcox Formation Age: Early Eocene-Late Paleocene Location: Offshore Western Australia Seismic data: Stybarrow 2008 M4D MSS obtained by the Geoscience Department of Australia Analysis tools: Coherence, multispectral coherency, principal curvature (K1 and K2), acoustic seismic inversion, flatness and curvedness, CNN automatic fault interpretation, and spectral decomposition

Some topics in English newsmagazines in 2020, with special reference to mineral resources, quality of construction aggregates, and closing a geoscience department

Some topics in English newsmagazines in 2020, with special reference to mineral resources, quality of construction aggregates, and closing a geoscience department

Geoethics as a common thread that can bind a geoscience department together

Abstract As ethics is a fundamental part of science, so too is geoethics at the centre of geoscience. Many university geoscience departments have not incorporated considerations of ethics or geoethics into their routine operations, strategies for student development, curriculum or research efforts. Starting to emphasize ethics within a departmental community takes an ongoing commitment to learn the vocabulary of ethics, engage in open and continuing conversations with all persons in the department and promote a shared understanding that ethics – geoethics – is an essential part of everything we do as geoscientists. Geoethics can be a common thread that helps to bind a geoscience department together.

Inner Shelf Benthic Foraminifera of the South China Sea, East Coast Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract The distributional patterns of modern benthic foraminifera from the inner shelf of the southern South China Sea, off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, are documented for the first time. The study area from Tanjung Sedili, Johor in the south to Marang, Terengganu, in the north was selected for a sand-resource study by the Minerals and Geoscience Department, Malaysia in 1993. Twenty-four surface sediment samples from <50 m water depth contained 266 foraminiferal species belonging to 6 orders, 49 families, and 117 genera, including 32 agglutinated, 130 calcareous hyaline, and 104 calcareous porcelaneous species. Two biofacies were distinguished by cluster analysis. Biofacies A was characterized by high relative abundance of Amphistegina papillosa and few other larger benthic foraminiferal (LBF) taxa in sandier sediments. Biofacies B was characterized by Pseudorotalia schroeteriana and other small rotaliids that were found in muddy sediments. The following features of foraminiferal assemblages and sediments reflect the strong fluvial/terrestrial influence on this tropical shelf environment: the overall moderate foraminiferal diversity, dominance of rotaliids over miliolids, overall dominance of smaller foraminiferal assemblages by Elphidium crispum, the limited diversity of LBF, the limited abundance of A. lessonii and the dominance of LBF assemblages by A. papillosa at relatively shallow depths. These features indicate at least intermittently turbid waters with limited light penetration and the dominance of the shelf sediments by siliciclastics, with mean percent carbonates <35%.

Past to present deformation of the central-eastern Southern Alps: from the foreland to the Giudicarie belt

A field trip across the central-eastern sector of the Southern Alps, from the foreland to the Giudicarie fold-and thrust belt, is here described. The field trip, which was held on 12-13 July 2017, followed the Annual Meeting of the Gruppo Italiano di Geologia Strutturale (GIGS) of the Italian Geological Society. It was organized by the Geoscience Department of the University of Padova as a 2-day itinerary in Veneto and Trentino. This guide provides a geological overview of the main structural domains of the central-eastern Southern Alps (the Giudicarie and Schio-Vicenza domains) and focuses on evidence of past and present brittle deformation, principally within carbonate rocks of Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous age. The itinerary and Stop descriptions are particularly devoted to observation and discussion of exhumed faults, present and past seismicity, large landslides/rock avalanches of Holocene to historic age, and their interactions. The observation of specific outcrops is also combined with spectacular panoramas illustrating the regional tectonic setting of the Southern Alps and of the nearby Austroalpine units.

Geoscience Department Feature: University Of Texas At El Paso (UTEP)

Geoscience Department Feature: University Of Texas At El Paso (UTEP)

Applications of Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging (ECCI) in Failure Analysis of In-Situ Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction Deformation Experiments

Journal Article Applications of Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging (ECCI) in Failure Analysis of In-Situ Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction Deformation Experiments Get access Shirin Kaboli, Shirin Kaboli Geoscience Department and High Pressure Science and Engineering Center, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Pamela C Burnley Pamela C Burnley Geoscience Department and High Pressure Science and Engineering Center, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Microscopy and Microanalysis, Volume 23, Issue S1, 1 July 2017, Pages 568–569, https://doi.org/10.1017/S143192761700352X Published: 04 August 2017

Benefits of a STEAM Collaboration in Newark, New Jersey: Volcano Simulation Through a Glass-Making Experience

ABSTRACTA simulated physical model of volcanic processes using a glass art studio greatly enhanced enthusiasm and learning among urban, middle- to high-school aged, largely underrepresented minority students in Newark, New Jersey. The collaboration of a geoscience department with a glass art studio to create a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) educational experience increased strong interest in learning about volcanoes by 40.7% and learning of volcanic concepts by up to 92% across four major topic areas. In particular, using hands-on, interactive experiences, activities effectively informed and enthused students about the heat of a volcano and lava, lava flows and the dangers they pose, forms of falling volcanic bombs, volatiles in lava, and interaction of lava with water. Teachers found that students remained highly motivated by the experience even after their return to school. The Glass Volcano Experience has the potential to constitute a critical incident in encouraging students to pursue geoscience as an interest and/or profession. Such innovative collaborations of unlikely partners has the potential of creating new and innovative learning experiences for urban students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to witness geologic phenomena in situ.

Being Your Own Best Advocate: Geoscience Education Researchers and the Tenure Track in Traditional Geoscience Programs

Geoscientists have seen the boundaries between traditional geology and other science fields become more permeable as geoscience research questions have evolved to better capture the transdisciplinary nature of the natural world. From geochemistry to geophysics to geobiology, the value of a transdisciplinary approach to complex and meaningful research questions is evident in each of these fields. Research on geoscience teaching and learning is following a similar path, but has the added complexity of crossing over with the social sciences (e.g., educational psychology), which introduces research methods useful, but less familiar, to many geoscientists. This is one of the reasons that Feig (2013) called for targeted ''marketing'' by geoscience education researchers to contextualize their research and build community, a concept echoed by Lukes et al (2015). I think this advice is a time-sensitive action item for one group of geoscience education researchers in particular - those who are currently on the tenure-track. While it is important for all tenure-track faculty to talk with their department colleagues early and often about what they do, how they do it, and why it is important (St. John and Leckie, 2009), it is especially true for tenure-track geoscience education scholars in traditional geoscience programs.How those conversations are approached is important. Avoid jargon, which creates further barriers. Maintain respect for colleagues; wisdom on geoscience teaching and learning isn't exclusive to those with geoscience education research PhDs. Find common ground. As is the case for all discipline based educational researchers (DBER), a strong geoscience education researcher also has disciplinary knowledge (D. Mogk, DBER webinar 30 June 2015, available at: http://nagt.org/nagt/profdev/workshops/geoed_research/ dber_webinar.html; Singer et al, 2012); therefore connecting by way of the geoscience itself can help establish common ground with geoscience department colleagues. The university mission and the geoscience departmental goals are also areas of common ground. Serving that mission and meeting those goals depends on faculty that can each play to their strengths and respect the diverse and unique contributions of their colleagues, including geoscience education researchers.Like all tenure-track faculty, tenure-track geoscience education faculty should be expected to demonstrate achievement and impact in the traditional promotion and tenure categories of Teaching, Research, and Service. However, both at the community level and at the department level, conversations need to occur between geoscience administrators, senior-faculty, and tenure-track faculty on the metrics of success of geoscience education research.There are at least two points to consider when thinking about metrics of success. One is deciding on what ''counts'' as evidence of achievement and impact in a research field that, by its very nature, overlaps with teaching and service. Like in other geoscience fields, publications and grantfunding are key pieces of geoscience education research evidence, but there are nuances that need to be considered. For example, there is a wide range of dissemination outlets for geoscience education scholarship. …

POTENTIAL USE OF OZONATION WITH LIMESTONE ADSORPTION IN GROUND TREATMENT: A CASE STUDY AT KELANTAN WATER TREATMENT PLANT

Pollution of groundwater occurs due to rapid industrialization and agricultural activities. A desktop study was carried out to identify the actual groundwater problem occurs in Malaysia. The quality of groundwater was investigated to obtain the baseline groundwater data for an alternative integrated water treatment process that involved combination of ozonation and adsorption process. Preliminary data on groundwater pollution were collected from nine Mineral and Geoscience Department(JMG) groundwater monitoring wells, Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB) water treatment plant and Natioal Hydraulics Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM). The result shows that raw groundwater in Kelantan contains high concentration of Fe and thus an alternative treatment is necessary. However, based on the previous treated effluent data at one of the water treatment plants in Malaysia has indicated that the use of ozone alone may only remove Fe concentration up to 0.5- 0.8 mg/L. This exceeded the acceptable limit of 0.3 mg/L .1 Application of ozonation process for groundwater treatment has received more attention based on its capability to transform contaminants into non-harmful substance within a short period. Most previous literature found that limestone is very effective in removing more than 90% of heavy metal such as Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cr, Fe and Mn in water. To improve the performance of ozonation process, an integrated treatment of ozonation and adsorption processes using limestone is proposed in the current study for groundwater treatment.

Earth Wind & Fire: A Learning Community Approach to Build Ties Between Degree Programs in a Geoscience Department

ABSTRACTWe describe the components of a learning community program for meteorology, geology, and Earth Science undergraduates in a geoscience department. The learning community provides the students with opportunities to interact with each other and with faculty, and it helps them in the transition from high school to a large public university. Enrollment data show that, in addition to being a successful community-building approach, the learning community has a positive impact in major retention to the programs and is well received by the students.

National Geoscience Conference 2014 : Climate and Sea Level Change Through Geologic Time ( 13 - 14 June 2014 , Kuala Terengganu , Malaysia )

The 27th National Geoscience Conference held in Kuala Terengganu on 13-14 June, and co-organised by Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and the Malaysian Minerals & Geoscience Department, was attended by 200 participants. The potential effects of ongoing climatic and sea level changes are of global concern, especially for countries with coastal populations. The most recent geologic period, the Quaternary (0 to 2.6 million years ago), is characterised by high frequency climate and sea level changes. The conference focussed on understanding these changes to facilitate prediction of future coastal trends. In addition to the conference theme there were sessions on geohazards, engineering geology, geochemistry, hydrogeology and economic geology. The conference was opened by Professor Datuk Ibrahim Komoo, UMT Vice Chancellor, who emphasised that geoscientists have a leading role in contributing towards understanding past environmental changes. The well-known geological truism that “The Present is the Key to the Past”, needs to be joined with one that “The Past is the Key to the Future”. Geologists understand past climatic changes well and so are ideally positioned to assist with future predictions.

Potential of Clay Deposits in Kelantan for Ceramic Production: A Literature Analysis

Kelantan state, regarded as the cradle of Malay culture is not only known for her unique cultural heritage, but also a land blessed with both metallic and non-metallic minerals. These include enormous clay deposits discovered in six (6) districts with estimated total reserve of 29.4 million tonnes of ball clay and 51.5 million tonnes of mottled clay. Hence, this paper investigates the physiochemical and mineralogical properties of the clay deposits. This was achieved by reviewing existing literatures and reports at the Mineral and Geoscience Department, Malaysia. The properties investigated were green and fired clay colour, plasticity, green strength, dry and fired shrinkage, porosity, chemical and mineral composition. The properties of the clay revealed that they have geographical IP potential; particularly, the predominantly off-white fired colour of the ball clay at temperature range of 900-11000C can secure an identity for Kelantan ceramics in the local, national or international market. Based on these properties, the ball clay is applicable for table ware, earthenware and local tile production while the mottled clay has a potential use for vitrified clay pipe, local tile and brick production.

Pennsylvanian floras from Italy: an overview of the main sites and historical collections

The paper provides an overview of the main Pennsylvanian sites in Italy yielding associations rich in plants and/or palynomorphs. So far in Italy, the principal outcrops are located in the Southern Alps, Tuscany and Sardinia. In the Western Southern Alps and bordering Switzerland, Westphalian outcrops are small and scattered. Nevertheless they yielded an abundant fossil flora, stored at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale of Milan-, (Venzo and Maglia Collection). In the Carnic Alps-, (Eastern Southern Alps)-, continental deposits of Moscovian to Gzhelian age also occur near the border with Austria. They have produced a high number of preserved plant fossils, presently stored in the Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale of Udine. In Tuscany, the two main sections yielding Westphalian to Autunian floras are those of the Iano and Pisani Mountains. A rich collection of plant fossils from those sites is hosted at the Museo di Storia Naturale of Florence University and at the Museum of Natural History of Pisa University. In Sardinia, plant fossil sites are located in the south west and central east parts of the island. The San Giorgio Basin (Iglesiente subregion) and the Tuppa Niedda section (Arburese subregion) are late Westphalian – early Stephanian in age. In the Barbagia at Seui-Seulo and the Gerrei subregions, other continental basins yielded transitional “Stephanian- Autunian” fossil plant associations. The slabs are stored as part of the Lovisato Collection at the Lovisato Museum of the Chemical and Geoscience Department of Cagliari University. Smaller historical outcrops of Carboniferous age are also known from other Italian regions, such as Liguria.

Quality vs. Quantity in Undergraduate Geoscience Education

Earlier this year I served as an external evaluator of geoscience department at liberal arts public The geology program in this department is small but vibrant. Let me reiterate: small, but vibrant. Small is unquestionable. It's fact. The geology degree graduation rate there is fewer than 10 students per year. Determining that it is vibrant, on the other hand, is largely qualitative, but important, evaluation based on wide range of evidence - from student research opportunities to their post-graduation job placement, from course innovation to student and alumni interviews, from faculty CVs to (yes) graduation rates. It was clear from such evidence that the program's faculty are deeply committed to fostering scientific literacy among the general student population, and building solid foundation for geoscience careers for their majors. It was also clear that the students love being part of this department. But it is small. It was in meeting with an administrator at this university that our committee raised the question of whether the size of the program was concern. In the classic SWOT (strengthsweaknesses-opportunities-threats) mode of evaluation we wanted to know: Did being small create weakness that, in this time of economic stress, could threaten its existence? The administrator (whose area of expertise is outside of the sciences), with mildly surprised expression, said that she/he could not imagine liberal arts university without geology program. That geology is a basic science at liberal arts university. How sharply this administrator's perspective contrasts with the administrative perspective at another liberal arts public university - the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). In March, at the recommendation of the UNI President and Provost (Allen, 2012), the Iowa Board of Regents voted unanimously to terminate 22 undergraduate majors, including geology (BS and BA). The reasoning was that UNI needed to cut costs and these programs, which also included physics, microbiology, French, German, and philosophy among others, were considered too small to keep (Associated Press, 2012). The programs were too small to be highly valued. The UNI Provost said in press conference that this decision has nothing to do with the quality of education (Ta, 2012). And here lies the primary flaw in their argument. The administration never considered the quality of education as factor in their decision. It was purely based on the numbers. Simply, quantity. Available evidence from white paper (Morgan, 2012) produced by the UNI Department of Earth Science faculty and alumni shows that the geology program at UNI is vibrant. For example, UNI geology students conduct research with faculty and participate in internship opportunities across Iowa and in other states. Graduates have gone on to successful geoscience careers in industry, government, and academics. Department faculty have won awards for their teaching, research, and service. The department consistently provides extensive educational and outreach opportunities to the UNI and local communities, and it provides instruction that supports the UNI liberal arts core and preservice science teacher education. Even by the numbers, the administrative decision is flawed. Currently, there are 81 majors in the UNI Department of Earth Science, 29 of whom are geology majors, and 52 are Earth science majors. For comparison, the Fall 2011 enrollment data for University of Iowa lists 39 geoscience majors (geology and Earth science), while Iowa State has 52 geology majors and 11 Earth science majors, for total of 63 geoscience undergraduates. Thus, while the geology program at UNI is among the smaller programs on campus, this undergraduate geoscience department is the largest in the state. UNI is imploding as result of this decision. Tenured faculty positions are being eliminated. Students are disappointed and confused. …

Another Geoscience Department 'Bites the Dust'

Another Geoscience Department 'Bites the Dust'

Research Methodologies in Science Education: Training Graduate Teaching Assistants to Teach

Jason, a junior faculty member in a geoscience department, has been asked by his chair to take over the training of graduate teaching assistants in the department. He was chosen mainly because he has attended a few teaching workshops and has been trying some new teaching approaches in his introductory geology course. Jason is not sure how one should structure a program to build graduate students' teaching skills. He begins with a literature search in the science education literature to find what other science departments are doing to prepare graduate students for their teaching roles. What are the key items that should be in a professional development program for graduate student instructors? He quickly finds that although many science departments have published articles describing their approach to developing graduate students' teaching skills, very few of these programs have ever been evaluated. So Jason starts a more general search through the literature focusing on teaching approaches that have some research base. His plan is to build a professional development program for graduate student instructors around research-based approaches. In this column, we chronicle Jason's progress, summarize the research in this area and highlight the areas where more research is needed. Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) play a prominent role in undergraduate education at higher education institutions. They are frequently utilized to instruct courses in a cost efficient manner, with the rationale that the experience will prepare them for careers in academia. In fact, GTAs instruct the majority of undergraduate laboratories and discussion sections at research universities (Travers, 1989). As instructors, GTAs frequently make instructional, curricular, and assessment decisions throughout their courses. They decide how information should be presented, what concepts should be emphasized, and how to evaluate student work. Unfortunately, GTAs often make these decisions with little guidance from faculty. By involving GTAs in college science education reform now, we can advance reform efforts, both in the short term, by increasing the quality of instruction in undergraduate science laboratories and discussion sections, and in the long term, when these graduates move on to permanent faculty positions and develop and teach both undergraduate and/or graduate courses. Regrettably, GTAs are often subjected to training programs that offer limited instructional support regarding the teaching of science (Carroll, 1980; Rushin et al., 1997; Golde and Dore, 2001) and they often experience limited support for developing their teaching skills from their departments or advisors (Jones, 1993; Golde and Dore, 2001). In a recent study that surveyed over 4000 doctoral students across disciplines from 27 universities in the U.S., 83% of doctoral students responding to the survey cited enjoyment of teaching as their main reason for pursuing a faculty career (as opposed to 72% who cited enjoyment of research as the primary reason), yet most students lamented the lack of training they received to develop their teaching skills (Golde and Dore, 2001; full text of the report is available online at http://www.phd-survey.org). This comment is representative of many doctoral students in the sciences: have always considered teaching my main reason for pursuing an academic degree. I am amazed at how little preparation I am receiving in how to teach. I am still planning on pursuing a teaching position but am filling in the gaps in education and preparation on my own time with little encouragement from my academic program - quote from a molecular biology doctoral student. (Golde and Dore, 2001) Literature on GTA Training Programs in the Sciences It is estimated that by 2014, 500,000 new professors will be teaching at American colleges and universities (Jones, 1993). Improving undergraduate education for current and future students will depend upon thoughtful and careful attention to the training of these future faculty members, especially in light of the fact that the reason many undergraduate students cite for abandoning science majors is poor teaching (Seymour and Hewitt, 1997). …

Historical Data on Graduate-Level Participation of Women in a Large Geoscience Department

Participation by women in the graduate program in geological sciences at the University of Texas at Austin has varied dramatically at different times since the founding of the department in 1897. Two periods of relatively high participation rates are documented, based on percentages of women among graduates awarded MA and PhD degrees. A peak of participation from the late 1920s through the early 1940s ended with World War II. Participation of women in the graduate program did not again reach comparable levels until after the mid-1970s oil-price rise. Causes of this virtual 30-year gap in participation by women remain obscure. During the periods of higher participation, a very small number of individuals among the total faculty fostered a disproportionate number of graduate degree completions by women.